Person of Interest Season 2: Episode 2 "Bad Code" Details Released

We're inching ever closer to the second season premiere of CBS's sophomore series Person of Interest. The strongly-rated series will pick up right where season one left off: with Finch (Michael Emerson) a hostage of rival hacker Root (Amy Acker), who has kidnaped him for as-yet undisclosed reasons.

What we do know is that season 2 will be focusing more on the machine gaining sentience, which was strongly hinted at in the season one finale, which saw Reese (Jim Caviezel) speaking to the Machine and the Machine apparently responding.

"You've created an intelligence, a life," Root tells a reluctant Finch in a promo for season 2. There's real excitement in her voice when she says that; she's not going to let Finch go so easily. And she's certainly not going to let him go in the season premiere episode, "The Contingency."

No, Finch will still be Root's hostage in the second episode of the series, "Bad Code," according to the officially released synopsis for the episode: "The Machine delivers the number of a cold case that leads Reese ever closer to catching up with Finch and his kidnapper, Root."

I like the fact that Person of Interest is sticking with this storyline for at least a few episodes into the second season. This episode will also give us a glimpse into Finch's past, it appears. Emmy-winner Margo Martindale, who was absolutely riveting as Mags Bennett on FX's Justified, will guest star in the episode as Barbara Russell, "a woman from Finch's past." The episode will contain flashbacks to 1991, where the younger Russell will be portrayed by Rebecca Metz (Nip/Tuck).

She's not the first big guest star for season 2: Ken Leung will appear as the person of interest in the first episode of the season, though it doesn't seem likely that he'll be reunited with Emerson, his former LOST co-star.

Person of Interest season 2 will premiere with the episode "The Contingency" September 27 on CBS. "Bad Code" will air the next week, October 4.